Fish Chunks

Keeping Up With The Miami Marlins of Florida

Saturday, June 30, 2007

Prayer Request

The Marlins have sucked on Sundays this year, losing their last 5 (and 8 of their last 9) Sunday games. Those of you attending houses of worship this morning, I hope you would spend just a second of your time in reflecting upon this situation. Thank you.

Cracked Fact

For the last seven Saturdays the Marlins have alternated wins-and-losses. If that pattern continues, and since the Marlins lost last Saturday, then we should be due for a win (jinx jinx). Hudson and Kim do the fling thing tonight. Foam Fish heads and Joan Jett spice up the evening's entertainment.

BLECH: Fish lose 12-3. Just seeing the final score may make you think, "Johnson blew it again". But Josh only gave up 2 of those runs in the 4 innings he struggled through. Obermueller and Tankersley gave up the bulk of the Atlanta scoring. (After the game Taylor was sent back to AAA and Lee Gardner brought back up.) Fredi's greatest move as manager so far was having Jason Wood pitch the ninth. Reynal Pinto pitched okay (hooray). For more fun, the Mets win two games, the Phillies lose two, and the Nats lose only one.

The Josh Report

Record-Smashing

Scott Olsen gets the most consecutive strikeouts at the start of a game in Marlins history, and Matt Treanor probably hit the shortest possible out-of-the-park home run ever at Joe-Pro-Phin. (SunSentinel)

The H. Wayne Landscaping Challenge

Since a new ballpark by 2011 is becoming a little less likely every day, Huizenga announces that, sure, if the Marlins want they can extend their stay at his stadium, but only if they can find some way to magically make the infield dirt disappear during football games. (SunSentinel)

More Sportswriter 'Grumblings' About Fredi's Game 'Management'

Interleague Results

Atlanta was the big loser of the NL East in interleague contests this year, ending up with a record of 4-11. After all the whining of the Mets faithful over their unfair interleague schedule, they end up with an winning 8-7 record. Philly also went 8-7. The Marlins and Nationals both ended up with a 9-9 interleague record.

Player's Union Thinks Anibal May Have Been Screwed

They're checking "whether the Marlins knew the right-hander was injured before it sent him to Class AAA Albuquerque on May 4." Fredi says, "I had no idea," and Kranny says, "It took a lot of us by surprise." (PalmBeachPost)

Friday, June 22, 2007

The Twins Arrive

It's the first time ever that the Twins have played in SoFla - Luis Castillo and Mike Redmond return to their old stomping grounds. The Twins have almost half the amount of errors this year than the Marlins do. Mr. Boof Bonser will fling the spheroid against the Marlins, whilst Mr. Scott Olsen will attempt the same against the Twins.

Dontrelle's Next Start Iffy

Buyers or Sellers?

'"It's a little early," Beinfest said when asked if the Marlins will be buyers or sellers. "Generally, decisions are made for you. I'm not sure this team has played its best baseball. Hopefully it hasn't. I don't really know exactly what's going to happen 51/2 weeks from now. We'll see."' (PalmBeachPost)

Ozzie Does the Tough Love Thing on El Gordo

'Guillen -- one of baseball's most outspoken figures -- pulled no punches. He told Cabrera he needed to lose weight.

'"I'm a little upset with him," Guillen said. "You're still young. He knows he has a problem with that. When you are young and good, you can get away with it. But when you're older and you're not hitting home runs, then they will call you a fat boy from Venezuela.

'"I saw him in the spring and he was [skinny], and then I saw him again later and said, "You've been eating a lot of arepas," he joked. "When your mother is Venezuelan and your wife is Venezuelan, you are going to get fat. If he keeps getting bigger, his future is in the Mexican League."' (MiamiHerald)

MORE: Ozzie on the state of the Marlins...

'"When I was there the first playoff (series) in San Francisco (in 2003), you see McCovey Cove and everything orange and black. Then you go to Chicago and it's Ron Santo and the Ivy. Then we went to New York and they got all those (plaques honoring Yankees) players," he said.

'"Then we go to our place and it's Don Shula and the 1972 team. That's depressing. I mean, that's bad. ... I'd like to know what the Dolphins have done better than the Marlins over the years?"

'Guillen was reminded about the mystique of the '72 Dolphins and their perfect season.

'"That's a hundred years ago," he said. "The Marlins win in 2003. That's five years ago and nobody talks about it. That's (wrong). The Dolphins haven't had a winning season in years and everything's 'Dolphins, Dolphins, Dolphins.' The Marlins put a good product out there and they don't think about that."

'Guillen said the market and government should do more to help build a ballpark for a Marlins team that has won two titles - in 1997 and 2003.

'"All of a sudden the Heat are better than the Marlins? What did they do? They won one (championship)," he said.

'He did say that the South Florida media might treat him better than what he's received in Chicago during the 4-17 skid the White Sox took into Monday's game.

'"I wish I could be with the Marlins today because nobody would talk about me like they do here," he said.

'"But the thing is, why don't they put more attention on the team? They should appreciate what they did in the past. Don't keep blaming the owners. They're going to regret it."

'Asked whether he would try to move the Marlins out of Florida if he owned the team, Guillen replied: "Of course, I'd leave. You don't support me?"

'Then he praised owner Jeffrey Loria for building competitive teams despite low payroll and small attendance.

'"Believe me, because I watch those games: It's fun to watch those kids," he said.

'"I tip my hat to the Marlins' organization every day. They don't have the support from the fans They don't have the support from investors. They play in the wrong park. ...People criticize the owners, but meanwhile they don't support the ballclub."

'Part of the problem, he said, is that the Marlins began play in just 1993, so they're fan base is young compared with other markets.

'"The Marlins fans are still babies, still young kids,'' he said. "They're doing a tremendous job putting all those kids together. I think it's going to be not too far away they'll see a winning ballclub, a good ballclub."'(PalmBeachPost)

Thursday, June 14, 2007

Dontrelle Vs. Who?

'Left-hander Jason Stanford was scheduled to arrive Wednesday night in Miami and start tonight against the Marlins. "It was his day to pitch," Manager Eric Wedge explained. "He's done a pretty good job down there (at Triple-A Buffalo) for the most part."' (Cantonrep.com)

THE-EMPIRE-STRIKES-BACK: Cleveland extracts its revenge, winning 2-of-3 games against the Marlins, and in last night's game trampling over Dontrelle's hand in the process. Turncoat Borowski closes the door and the Fish lose 3-2 - another losing home series in Miami. The NL East race continues to compress, as Altanta loses and Washington wins.

Aaron Loves the Indians

'"There's not a classier organization in sports," the veteran Florida Marlins first baseman said Tuesday. "I met people there I'll have lifelong relationships with. I talk to somebody from Cleveland almost every week."' (Cantonrep.com)

ANOTHER: Joe Borowski also enjoys playing for the dark side. (SunSentinel)

Tuesday, June 12, 2007

The Evil Indians Come To Town

The scumbag organization that broke the hearts of the good people of the town of Homestead by going back on their word to relocate their spring training home there (even after the folks of that city devestated by Hurricane Andrew abandoned the repairs to their own homes to help get the stadium ready for the Indians' arrival) returns to South Florida to seek vengence against the Marlins for that team's righteous and honourable victory over Cleveland in the World Series of 1997. Fausto Carmona against Scott Olsen tonight.

AINT-OVER-TILL-ITS-OVER: Gee, wasn't it radio's Roxy Bernstein who was saying around about the 4th inning that if the game he was watching was on his PlayStation he would have hit the restart button by now? Well, it seems the Marlins' restart button was hit instead. Fish went from behind 8-2 to winning the game 14-8. Atlanta and Philly loses. Mets and Nats win.

USA Today Profiles Miguel

Jorge L. Ortiz writes about the Cabrera family's successes and sacrifices, Miguel's past accomplishments, his future with the Marlins and with baseball, and his ring tones and Sunday barbecues. (USAToday)

Tuesday, June 05, 2007

Double The Fun

OOPS-AGGH-YAY-OUCH!: I got the Braves pitchers switched around, but anyway, the Braves win the first game on a rather generous strike call, then the Marlins win the second game with a pitching gem from Vanden Hurk, but then Cabrera pulls up lame. Washington loses, Philly beats the Mets in 11 innings.

Saturday, June 02, 2007

Game 3

VICTORY-CAP: Capuano gets his 500th strikeout and hits a homer, but that homer's all the Brewers got off of Kim for 6 innings. Fish win 5 to 2 - Pinto gets a blown save, Lindstrom gets the win, Benitez gets a hold (and strikeout no. 900), and Gregg gets the save. The Nats lose, and the rest of the NL East wins.

Jopeful Signs

To see if a team's problem veteran closer can have success someplace else, I checked on how Jorge Julio's doing with Colorado. So far, not too bad - in 5 innings pitched in 6 games he's given up 3 hits, 3 walks, made 3 strikeouts, and has a 1.80 ERA.

Friday, June 01, 2007

New Blog Alert

Putting out a strong 9.723473067483115 on the Sarcaz-O-Meter is the brand new Marlins entry in the MLBlogs domain, Hook, Line Drive, & Sinker.

Enjoy the report on Randy M. for Giants fans, the top ten Super Saturday suggestions, the new monument for the visitor's clubhouse, and the tender hearts of the Phillies. (Who'da thought counting Mets fans could be entertaining?)

THE-500-CLUB: Fish lose in drippy Miller Park 8-5. Armando pitches a scoreless inning after getting his old number back from Byung-Hyun. Atlanta wins, Philadelphia loses. Washington wins, New York loses.